Paul Smith 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy' prints benefit amfAR

Fashion designer Paul Smith has created a quartet of limited-edition silk-screened posters celebrating the U.S. release of the '70s-era espionage film "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," which hits theaters stateside on Dec. 9.

The movie, based on John le Carré's novel of the same name, focuses on the hunt for a mole in British intelligence and is set in 1973 and '74. Smith apparently consulted with director Tomas Alfredson in the early development stages of the film, offering his thoughts and insights on the mood, color and photographic approach to 1970s-era London. (Smith, once an aspiring professional cyclist, embarked on his long and distinguished fashion career in 1970.)

The images on the posters, a circus tent and a chess piece among them, are references that will make sense to anyone who has seen the film, and the stark black, red and white color palette perfectly evokes the Cold War backdrop against which the film takes place.

I caught a recent press screening, and, while I'd already heard some of the film's fashion buzz (Gary Oldman finding the perfect pair of glasses for his version of George Smiley at a local vintage store, Aquascutum re-creating a specific '70s-era beige Mac among them), I wasn't prepared for the movie's serious style quotient. The spies (Oldman, Colin Firth and Benedict Cumberbatch among them) were dressed by the film's costume designer Jacqueline Durran, in a rich assortment of textured three-piece suits, silk neckties and pocket squares, each man ever-so-subtly differentiated by his style (barrel cuff versus French cuff, double-breasted suit versus single-breasted, choice of footwear). 

The four limited-edition screen-printed posters are numbered in editions of 50 and each one is signed by Smith. Available at all Paul Smith shops (including the 8221 Melrose Ave. boutique locally) as of Dec. 1, they are priced at $160 a piece, with all profits going to amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research.

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Photos: The four limited-edition screen-printed posters invoking imagery from "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" designed by Paul Smith, which are available for $160 each, with all profits going to benefit amfAR. Credit: Paul Smith 

Special holiday shopping destinations in the L.A. area

Let’s face it; holiday shopping can be such a drag. What with all the Black Friday madness or even just braving the parking lot at your local mall over the next few weeks, it’s easy to see how the joy of giving can quickly dissipate when you can barely get in and out of a store without your blood pressure shooting through the roof.

In an attempt to stay sane and make the shopping experience peaceful and inspiring, we’ve sussed out several local shopping events, sales and pop-up shops that provide unique wares as well as a quaint and calm environment in comparison with the usual chain store spots.

A Current Affair: Pop-up vintage marketplace is happening Dec. 3 and 4 at the Cooper Design Space in downtown L.A. Over 30 vendors will be selling their vintage clothing and accessories, which range from cheap and cheerful items to pricier haute couture pieces.  Journalist and author Rose Apodaca has curated a selection of vintage that will be on display. She’ll also be signing copies of her recently released book, “Fred Hayman: The Extraordinary Difference: The Story of Rodeo Drive, Hollywood Glamour and the Showman Who Sold It All.”

KCRW DJ Marion Hodges will be spinning some soothing shopper friendly tunes. And if that doesn’t make your experience pleasant, perhaps a beverage from the open bar will.

A Current Affair: Pop-up vintage marketplace 6-10 p.m. Saturday (Dec. 3), 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday (Dec. 4) at the Cooper Design Space, 860 S. Los Angeles St. Admission is $10 and tickets can be purchased at www.itsacurrentaffair.com

Simply Vintageous Holiday pop-up shop is open through the entire month of December and features a collection of vintage and designer items displayed throughout four adjoining rooms. High-end vintage is housed in one while two other rooms have contemporary pieces from clothing and accessory designers like Eva Franco, Athena Jewelry and M. Andonia Handbags. The fourth room is a bargain bin of things starting at just $10.

Simply Vintageous Holiday: Pop-up shop opens Saturday at 11 a.m. Regular store hours are  11 a.m.–7 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday,    Monday/Tuesday by appointment only.  8270 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles. Visit www.simplyvintageous.blogspot.com for more information.

Geren Ford Holiday shopping party On Saturday there’s a holiday shopping party at the new Geren Ford Annex in Hollywood, where creative director and founder of the brand Geren Lockhart will be selling discounted items from her fall collection. Also joining in on the fun are designers and brands like Gregory Parkinson, Wren, Loden Dager, Bare, Vosges and the Wrapped, who will be selling everything from men’s and women’s clothes to wrapping supplies and chocolate.

It’s a one-stop shop for anyone who wants to peruse a great selection of stuff from local designers, all under one roof, and check out the newly opened Geren Ford Annex, the company’s headquarters and retail space stocked with the collection plus items from other like-minded designers.

Geren Ford Holiday Shopping party: 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturday at the Annex, 1034 Seward St. Los Angeles.

Jaguar Presents Holiday Shopping Celebration on the Avenues  The city of West Hollywood is getting into the holiday spirit with a shopping night on Wednesday (Dec. 7). It’s like Fashion’s Night Out holiday edition, with stores extending their hours, food trucks parked along the streets for shopper sustenance and several places offering discounts and gifts with purchase.

Participating retailers include Alberta Ferretti, Alpha, Arcade Boutique, Beckley, Blumera, BOA Gallery, Chocolate Sun, Faruy'Art 1969, J Gerard Design Studio, John Varvatos, Kitson Melrose, Makeup Mandy, Nicky Rising, Shalimar’s Apothecary of Scent, Soolip Paperie & Press, the Fashion Society, Undrest, Viola Park, Wanna Buy a Watch?

Holiday Shopping night:  6 to 10 p.m. Wednesday. Visit www.AvenuesWH.com for a full list of events and retailers.

Decades 8th Annual Chanel Event starts on Dec. 10, which might lend itself more to doing a little personal shopping rather than shelling out the cash for a lavish gift. Either way, the highly anticipated event features Decades' largest selection of Chanel clothing and accessories to date, with an enticing array of modern and vintage Chanel handbags.

There’s an in-store event on the 10th and for those who can’t get to the boutique in person, the event continues online the next day (a Sunday), starting at 11 a.m. at www.decadestwo1.com.

Decades 8th Annual Chanel Event: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Dec. 10. Decades, 8214 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles.

Holiday Sale with Gabriela Artigas The L.A-based jewelry designer will be showcasing and selling her delicate pieces alongside other local designers like Marie Turnor, Black Crane and Parabellum.

The sale takes place in Artigas’ new studio near the Beverly Center, but the environment here will be much less harried than the scene at the mall, Artigas will be serving champagne while shoppers stroll through the accessories.

Gabriela Artigas Holiday Sale: Noon to 6 p.m. Dec. 10 at 314 N. Alfred St. Los Angeles.

Helms Design District Vintage Boutique holiday shopping event  This sale is something to look forward to for the large, open spaces and vast array of vintage clothing and accessories for both men and women. This year it's also added a seamstress who will be on hand at the sale to aid in altering garments or giving advice on how to repurpose something that needs tweaking.

Entry to the event is $5, but those who bring a charitable donation of either an unwrapped toy or a bag of nonperishable groceries will receive free entry. I’d call that a win-win.

Helms Design District Vintage Boutique holiday shopping event: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 10 at the LightSpace Studio at 8755 Washington Blvd., Culver City.

Happy shopping.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

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Photos, from top: A Current Affair vintage Marketplace. Credit: A Current Affair.

Clothing at the Geren Ford Annex, right; shoppers, left, at the Geren Ford Annex/Geren Ford.

Helms Design District vintage boutique, bottom /Helms Design District vintage boutique.

World AIDS Day: Gap, Nike, other fashion retailers get involved

Thursday marks World AIDS day, a day for people worldwide to unite and fight HIV, support those living with the virus and remember those who have died. Some fashion retailers are getting involved by releasing special clothing items to support the cause.

-- A|X Armani Exchange has partnered with dance4life, a nonprofit organization that educates young people about HIV through dance, and model Doutzen Kroes to release an exclusive T-shirt.  The shirt features a photo of Doutzen with the words "Dance-Dance-Dance" across the front. The shirt will be available starting Thursday for $35 in all A|X stores and online at Armaniexchange.com. All profits from the shirt will go to support dance4life education initiatives and related programs.

-- Designer Isabel Marant teamed up with Gap Red (Gap clothing's partnership with Global Fund to raise money to eliminate AIDS in Africa) to design a printed T-shirt for Gap. The shirt is $34, with 50% of every sale going to the Global Fund. The T-shirt is already sold out online, but you can call your local Gap store for availability.

-- Gap is also offering a special-edition Anchored in Hope (PRODUCT) RED T men's shirt in charcoal gray for $24.95. Fifty percent of the profits will be donated to the Global Fund.

-- Nike has come out with a Nike (RED) x World AIDS Day collection that includes special-edition Cheyenne backpacks, peacoat-style Destroyer jackets and a Nike (RED) Zoom Meriwether shoe. The collection will be available at select stores starting Dec. 1 and on http://nikestadiums.com/.

-- Fidelity Denim has designed a special edition of its signature Scoop Skinny jean in bright red. The jeans are available on the website for $205, with 100% of the profits going to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

Know of another World AIDS day fashion-related promotion? Please share it with us in the comments below.

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-- Jenn Harris

twitter.com/jenn_harris_

Photo: The A|X Armani Exchange dance4life T-shirt. Credit: Armani Exchange.

Bottom photo: Fidelity Denim Scoop Skinny in red. Credit: Fidelity Denim.

Courteney Cox and Nicole Kidman curate sales on Rue La La

This post has been updated. See correction below.

Members-only shopping destination Rue La La has teamed up with celebrity moms Courteney Cox and Nicole Kidman to curate online boutiques for the fashion site. The boutiques will feature the actresses' most coveted style items for moms and kids. Judging by each of their styles, there’s bound to be some interesting finds.

[For the record, 7:19 p.m.: Courteney Cox's first name was misspelled in an earlier version of this post and headline.]

All of the proceeds from Cox’s and Kidman’s curated sales go to charities of their choice.

Cox’s casual California style is apparent in her picks (comfy and durable jeans from Joe’s for the kids and a vintage Chanel bag for Mom).

Cox has chosen Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Research Foundation, an organization that does research to determine causes and cures for epidermolysis bullosa --  a rare genetic disorder characterized by blister formations after minor trauma to the skin. Cox became aware of the disease after her manager’s nephew was born with the condition. Her sale starts this evening at 5 p.m. PST.

Kidman’s sale is set to happen sometime in the next month and will no doubt feature a few more fancy items along the lines of her sophisticated style. All proceeds from her sale will benefit Stanford University’s Women’s Cancer Center.

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Photo: Courtney Cox with children at the Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Foundation. Credit: Rue La La

The charity trunk shows: Elephant Heart necklace helps the troops

From now through Christmas Day, 50% of the proceeds from the sale of each Elephant Heart charm necklace will be donated to the Bob Woodruff Foundation to support wounded soldiers and their families.

The handmade 1/2-inch 22K gold vermeil pendant on a 16-inch 14K gold fill chain retails for $110 and is part of Elephant Heart's bridal collection (according to the website, it's a popular bridesmaids' gift, and can be personalized by adding a bridesmaid-specific birthstone). 

Think of it as helping the folks who stick their necks out for others by buying something to accessorize your own.

The jewelry designer behind the Elephant Heart line (which also includes a wide range of pieces that have nothing to do with the proboscis-porting pachyderm, including necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings and cufflinks) is L.A.-based artist Elyse Graham, and the  Nov. 1 to Dec. 25 support of the Woodruff Foundation is only one of the ways she wraps a charitable/social responsibility element into her work.

Another way is through the greeting cards sold through her site (two different assortments of 10 cards each) which sell for $20 with 100% of proceeds going to Los Angeles' 32nd Street School -- whose students' elephant-themed artwork adorns the cards -- to promote arts education and purchase art supplies. 

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Photo: Through Dec. 25, 50% of proceeds from sales of the Elephant Heart charm necklace (top, $110) will be donated to the Bob Woodruff Foundation to support injured service members, veterans and their families. All proceeds from the sale of the greeting cards (bottom, $20) will help fund arts education and purchase art supplies for L.A.'s 32nd Street School. Credit: Elephant Heart 

Sleevecandy's 'accidentally ironic' thrift-store T-shirts

The way Reed Hushka sees it, the biggest problem with thrift shops isn't the lack of cool clothes but the hit-or-miss selection and sizes at individual stores. "I live in Chicago," Hushka said, "but my perfect T-shirt might be sitting in Austin, Texas."

And so a business was born. Calling them "accidentally ironic" and "ridiculously unique," Hushka is now exploiting his taste for questionably themed, collector and vintage T-shirts with the online business, Sleevecandy.com, which Hushka founded earlier this year in Evanston, Ill., with three grad-school classmates from Northwestern University. Whether the shirts were made by a corporation or a community group, Sleevecandy sells all the ridiculously awesome T-shirts its shoppers are able to find at Salvation Army stores in Chicago, Milwaukee and Detroit, where 30% of each T-shirt's sale price is donated back to the national charity.

Just half a percent of all the T-shirts sold by the Salvation Army are ridiculous or interesting enough for Sleevecandy, the 28-year-old Hushka said. And not all of them are fit to be resold. To make sure they're clean and in good condition, the shirts are washed at a Chicago warehouse and inspected for stains and holes before being photographed, tagged with search words and uploaded to the website, where they're sold for $16 to $52 a pop. The upper end of the price range, Hushka said, are usually of an '80s vintage and reference a major force in pop culture, such as Coca-Cola's switch to a new formula.

The site has about 2,200 T-shirts for sale at any given time. Some go faster than others. An "Exxon Mobil Helping Hands" shirt sold within a few days. A "Striving for the Best -- Summer Camp 1996" "has been on the site forever," Hushka said.

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Photos: T-shirts found at Salvation Army and resold on Sleevecandy.com. Credit: Sleevecandy.com

Stars hit pink carpet for inaugural 'Designs for the Cure' gala

Designer David Meister was honored Friday night at a $125-a-plate charity gala organized by Susan G. Komen Los Angeles County at the Bel-Air Bay Club.

Dubbed "Designs for theCure," in addition to recognizing Meister for his contributions to the cause of breast cancer awareness (he's a founding member of the local Pink Tie Guys), a Komen-affiliated group of men), the event included a silent auction, a sit-down dinner and a presentation of work by students in the fashion design program at Otis College of Art and Design.

That work -- in the form of design sketches -- also had a connection to Meister who is working with 15 of the students as part of Otis' design mentorship program, and their goal for this project was to create
a seasonless pink dress. A handful of those designs were on display -- propped on easels, pinned to mood boards, some with diaphanous fabric swatches attached.  

Although it was slightly disappointing not to see fully realized garments at the Oct. 28 gala, we're told plans are to have the best looks from the pink dress project made in time to hit the runway at Otis College's annual scholarship benefit and fashion show on May 5, 2012, at the Beverly Hilton.

Among the celebrities turning out at the event were Sara Ramirez of "Grey's Anatomy's" Sara Rue of “Rules of Engagement,” Emmanuelle Chriqui from "Entourage" and guitarist Saul Hudson -- better known as Slash -- and wife Perla Hudson.  

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Photos: At top, celebrity attendees at the Oct. 28 Designs for the Cure gala included, from left, honoree David Meister with Sara Rue (Credit: Neftalie Williams), Emmanuelle Chriqui, and Perla Hudson with husband Slash (Credit: Mike Brown). At bottom, a pink dress design by Otis student Victoria Taylor was among those on display at the event. Credit: Victoria Taylor, courtesy of Otis

Sinéad O'Connor, Deborah Harry perform at amfAR gala

AmfAR's second annual Los Angeles Inspiration Gala returned to the Chateau Marmont on Thursday, bringing together a constellation of stars to raise money to fight HIV/AIDS -- and honor the organization's founding international chair, the late Elizabeth Taylor.

Among the bold-faced names that turned out for the event were Sean Penn, Colin Farrell, Josh Duhamel, Anthony Mackie, Rose McGowan and Selma Blair, with Sandra Bullock on hand to present a tribute -- and an award -- to Taylor.

(AmfAR , the Foundation for AIDS Research, had originally planned to present its Courage Award to the late actress at a February gala in New York City, but she wasn't well enough to accept it. Taylor passed away the next month.)  

An evening that started with poolside cocktails and a men's fashion presentation with models sporting looks from Hugo Boss, Fendi and Thierry Mugler, continued with a sit-down dinner during which diners were treated to a set by Deborah Harry, who belted out two of Blondie's most popular songs -- "One Way or Another" and "Heart of Glass" from a stage set up in the Chateau's outdoor garden.

Dinner was followed by a live auction -- which included spirited bidding wars for several pieces of art including a Damien Hirst painting that sold for $35,000 -- and an Andy Warhol "Peaches" print that Bullock took home for $14,000.

Bullock offered a heartfelt tribute to the late Hollywood icon. “She never thought twice when she reached out to touch and hold the hand of an AIDS patient," Bullock said. "She never thought twice to put her arm around someone who was suffering. That is the gift we have as human beings … the ability to reach out and touch. A simple gesture that gives the world of support to its receiver.” 

After Bullock's tribute, Taylor's grandson, Quinn Tivey, stepped to the lectern to accept the Courage Award on behalf of the Taylor family.

"She was a witty and inspirational woman," Tivey told the crowd. "And I can't begin to tell you how happy I am to be here to receive this award from Sandra Bullock ... And I want to thank you all for continuing her legacy and her fight and for keeping it strong and vivid."

Surprisingly, Tivey's comments would turn out to be the second-most touching moment of the evening, with the real tear-jerker coming when Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor closed out the evening with a pair of songs.

"This is the part of the show where I'd usually make a few crude jokes -- but this is America," O'Connor quipped as she took to the stage in a purple Herve Leger dress and brown blazer (from local boutique Decadestwo.1) kicked off the pair of heels she was wearing and launched into the song "The Last Day of Our Acquaintance.”

Before singing the evening's final number, O'Connor told the crowd that she often thought about her own mother while singing it: "but tonight, nothing compares to you -- the family and grandchildren of Elizabeth Taylor." 

With that, O'Connor launched into her most famous song "Nothing Compares 2 U."

Afterward, the crowd leaped to its feet and gave O'Connor a standing ovation.

According to amfAR, the event raised nearly $500,000 to help fund AIDS research.

Nothing compares, indeed. 

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Photos: At top left, Sinead O'Connor performs at the amFar gala at the Chateau Marmont Thursday dressed in Herve Leger. At right, (from left to right) attendees Garcelle Beauvais, Selma Blair, Christos Garkinos, Rose McGown and Cameron Silver dressed in the spirit of the event's "black tie/hot metal" dress code. Middle, Elizabeth Taylor's grandson, Quinn Tivey, accepts the Courage Award on her behalf. Bottom, Sinead O'Connor, left, poses with Deborah Harry, who also performed at the benefit. Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images

 

Five Four X Movember: A handlebar (mustache) for each wrist [Updated]

Los Angeles-based Five Four* is the latest label to jump on the Movember charity brandwagon. The fashion brand it will donate $10 from the sale of each $50 Movember Country Gentleman Red Plaid Buttondown to the cause, which raises money and awareness for men's health issues, including prostate cancer.

In addition to an interior tag touting the partnership (see photo above), the 100% cotton button-front shirt has stealth 'stache cuffs that are red plaid on the outside but unbutton to reveal a bangin' gold handlebar mustache embroidered on the black poplin contrast cuff lining of each sleeve.

The shirt is available now at the brand's bricks-and-mortar flagship store at Westfield Culver City, as well as online through the label's website.**

In addition to the Toms Shoes collaboration we told you about last week, this year's other wearable Movember-supporting merchandise will include Palmer Cash T-shirts, knit caps from Krochet Kids International, necklaces by Demitasse Jewelry and cuff links by Arbitrage.

If biking is your thing, then you should check out the Movember-themed, mustache-emblazoned cycling kit by Giordana, which for anyone keeping track, essentially means handlebar mustaches made for wearing while holding on to the handlebars.

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Photos: Five Four Clothing will donate $10 to the Movember Foundation to fund prostate cancer research and awareness for each of the $50 shirts with stealth 'stache cuffs it sells. Credit: Five Four Clothing

[*Correction 10/25/11, 11:23 a.m.: An earlier version of this post referred to Five Four incorrectly as Five Four Clothing. ** Update: The stock of shirts at Five Four's e-commerce site has been replenished since our original post, so that link has been added.]

Toms Shoes X Movember: Some panache with that 'stache? [Updated]

 

This post has been corrected. See the note at the bottom for details.

Toms Shoes' support of the monthlong, worldwide charity mustache-grow known as Movember is back for another season with two styles of 'stache-embroidered footwear for men and women. That means in addition to providing a pair of shoes to a child in need, purchase of a pair will also help fund prostate cancer research and awareness.

This season, in addition to a new gray waxed twill version of its classic alpergata silhouette with a handlebar mustache design embroidered in white near the heel and a hound's-tooth check lining ($58), the company has added a second style -- a two-toned gray and black waxed twill version of its "bota" (or "boot") silhouette ($98), which also sports a hound's-tooth check lining.

The limited-edition shoes are expected to be available at select retailers and online in early November -- just in time for the Movember growing season, which starts Nov. 1.

[For the record, 12:14 p.m. Oct. 19: An earlier version of this post gave the wrong availability date for the limited-edition shoes. They will be available for purchase sometime in early November, not as of Oct. 15.]

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Photo: For its second year supporting the charity mustache-growing event known as Movember, Toms Shoes has added a new style -- a limited-edition version of its "bota" silhouette in two-toned waxed twill with a mustache embroidered at the heel ($98) which is currently available at select retailers and online at www.toms.com. Credit: Toms Shoes